Address At The Seminar On Relevance Of Guru Granth Sahib At Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar

EVOLUTION OF GURU GRANTH SAHIB

I am delighted to participate in the Seminar on Relevance of Guru Granth Sahib in the 21st Century and Foundation Stone Laying Ceremony of Guru Granth Sahib Bhavan. My greetings to the organizers, faculty members, renowned scholars from India and abroad, students and distinguished guests. I had come to Amritsar before. The very thought of visiting Amritsar gives me a special feeling of joy ie. Ananda. I had the good fortune of offering prayers to God in the Holy shrine here at Sri Hari Mandir Sahib, known to every body as Golden temple. It is a divine spiritual experience.

Universal Spirit

As a little boy in my school days, I have been introduced to the teachings of Guru Nanak Dev and briefly about the ten Gurus. In my later years, I have read a few books about Sikhism. I have been struck by the great universal spirit behind the teachings of the Guru. Despite the difficult periods in which they lived, they held the principles of the oneness of God high, and the equality of all human beings before them. Their concern for the poor, downtrodden and oppressed people, was very high. They were ready to sacrifice everything in upholding the principles and to bring justice to the people. Gurus instituted the system of ?langar? which asserts the principle of equality of all in action and also removed the hunger and pain of the poor. In one of the five projects of the Surat Spiritual Declaration, this beautiful concept of ?langar? has been introduced to inculcate ?unity of minds? among our people and to develop them as enlightened citizens.

Guru Granth Sahib belongs to the Whole World

Today, I am here as a part of one of the joyous functions that marks the 400th year of the finalization of the Guru Granth Sahib. That is indeed the day of Prakasham. It is an event, all of us in India should be proud of. Guru Granth sahib is a great human heritage and belongs thus to the whole world. It is all the more relevant in today?s world as we see much strife amidst great many possibilities of universal happiness. I see in it, a practical guide for life and a spiritual guide to elevate the soul. I am also happy to see that many good authentic translations of Guru Granth Sahib are available now from different sources.

I am aware that these translations alone do not fully capture the beauty of the original, especially the beauty of music and melody associated with its rendering in the original. I am especially happy to note that out of the 31 Ragas, the first place is given to Sri Raga which happens to be my favourite Raga.

Friends, I need not elaborate further to this audience about the contents, the structure and the significance of the Guru Granth Sahib. Many of you recite it daily and understand its deep significance.

Missions of Guru Arjan Dev

Therefore, friends, I am going to share with you some remarkable feelings I experienced when I was thinking about the great work done by Guru Arjan Dev, the 5th Guru of Sikhism. He was the pioneering spirit of Guru Granth Sahib. To think of his two great contributions to Sikhism and to the world heritage, really inspires me.

He built Sri Hari Mandir Sahib which is a shining divine beacon to all of us. He also undertook and completed a much more difficult mission of compiling and finalizing the Guru Granth Sahib and installing it at Sri Hari Mandir Sahib. Both these great tasks were done amidst all his regular duties as a Guru and also at a period of extraordinary turbulence from the rulers. He was fully aware of the dangers to his life. He accomplished the great, holy tasks set forth for himself, two years before his martyrdom.

No doubt, he got this extraordinary determination and capability to plan, organize, and execute, through divine grace. His achievements reminds us of the saying of a great Tamil Saint Poet Thiruvalluvar (2200 years back)

Which means: We can achieve our goals with hard work and perseverance when our thoughts are noble and efforts are directed at good deeds; hard work and courage will become natural habits. This will enrich the human life and ensure prosperity for all.

From Guru Arjan Dev?s mission of completing Guru Granth Sahib, I would like to illustrate a few important lessons we should all learn for shaping our own lives and to make our own contributions to the society and to the World.

Mission: Search for truth

You are all aware of the number of difficulties he went through in collection of materials for compilation: there were question of right principles guiding the control of quality of the materials to be included. It was great of the Gurus that they did not confine the Guru Granth Sahib only to their own beautiful divine, and spiritual poetry and songs. They made it universal. Therefore, Guru Arjan Dev with the resolve to compile the Sacred Volume, sent his messengers to every part of the country to collect the authentic texts of the compositions of such of the saints (Bhaktas) as had preached worship of un-attributed Formless Supreme Being (Ek Oankar). The choice was to rise above caste barriers and narrow sectarian considerations. He was not deterred by difficulties and initial failures in accomplishing this noble mission. Some persons approached him to include their verses. He considered them and politely refused, as they did not conform to the principles of universal vision, humility and deep humanitarianism. Since it was informed that Guru Nanak Devji had composed yogic texts and they were available in Sri Lanka, he sent his disciple, Paira Mokha to study and consider them. It was found spurious. Thus the task of collection, assessment and authentication was a job which Guru Arjan Devji did with a great clarity of purpose and determination, and without any fear of problems and initial failures.

Humility in Action

One episode in this collection process, which touched my heart, was the event describing his visit to Baba Mohan. You are all aware that Baba Mohan, Guru Amar Das?s elder son and a maternal uncle of Guru Arjan Dev had the two authentic pothis or volumes of the sacred Bani that was compiled in Guru Amar Des?s life time. Amar Dasji was the 4th Guru. Baba Mohan was an elderly person and Guru Arjan Dev, however was the Guru. But he did not use his authority. He went to the house where Baba Mohan had shut himself in his mystical meditation in the upper chamber. Guru Arjan Dev composed a song in Raga Gauri and played with a musical instrument Sarinda. The song is to the Divine God in the name of Mohan. But it moved Baba Mohan and melted his heart. He came down, overpowered by the sweet humility of Guru Arjan Dev. Baba Mohan made namaskar to his nephew and recognized him as Guru and handed over the sacred volumes. Content of these volumes were the principle components of Guru Granth Sahib.

Total Quality Management

I learnt the meaning of invisible leadership, which is being taught in today?s management schools. Mission is very important but also the great human principles like humility, love and respect for others. Powers are not derived from the seats of power, but from the greatness of hearts.

These were some glimpses of lessons while collecting, compiling and integrating the sacred poetry and hymns in a systematic form. There were strict adherences to pages, style of writing, references etc. Most of them are akin to best practices of Total Quality Management (TQM) being talked today. Apart from these, when the mission succeeded the sacred volume itself was completed in the year 1604 and installed in Sri Hari Mandir Sahib despite all initial problems let us see what Guru Arjan Dev does.

Credit to the team

The sacred volume is being carried to the town of Amritsar for installation in the Holy Temple. There is a joyous and reverent procession. Guru Arjan Dev himself is walking by the side of the Holy Volume waving the fly-whisk over the sacred pages. At the holy temple prashad is served. Everybody settles down. With profound reverence when the Guru Granth Sahib (or the Holy book) was placed on a cot (which is the practice even now) Guru Arjan Dev himself sits by the side on the floor. At the installation Guru Arjan Dev gives a special honour to Bhai Gurudas, a great scholar who has worked so hard in editing and writing. He asks him to make recitations from the holy book. What a way to reward a mission team. Again a lesson that a great leader gives the credit for his success to his mission team.

Choice of Granthi

He ordained that the first to hold the sacred office of the Granthi (The custodian of the holy book) should be Bhai Buddha. Bhai Bhudda was in advanced years. He was one of the first to listen to Guru Nanak Dev?s teaching. He was the one who had been invited to apply the paste mark to all the Gurus till Guru Arjan Dev?s time. Guru Arjan Dev himself and the assembly of people there listened to the recitation of the Japuji, which is recorded in the opening of the Holy book. What a great follower of tradition and respect for his own Guru?s. We have to absorb the point silently demonstrated by Guru Arjan Dev.

Friends, we all have to celebrate this great event in the human history; a magnificent human heritage. We can also learn some principles and practices of leadership. We also should try to put them to practice. Above all we should learn that people with determination need not be afraid of Mega Missions. This is an apt message for our youth. Youth in India constitute a sizeable vibrant and resourceful segment of our society who have a burning desire to scale greater heights. We can nurture this vast precious human capital by making them imbibe the teaching of Guru Granth Sahib and put them into practice in everyone of their missions. They will raise above all problems and God will help them to accomplish the mission successfully.

Guru Granth Sahib and Education

Education in order to be purposeful should remain embedded in the larger sub-stratum of ethics, morality and fair play. It is in this context that we must remember that the profound teachings from Guru Granth Sahib continue to inspire all of us and we must ensure that our education delivery system incorporates the cherished and noble values taught by Guru Granth Sahib especially the message of love, compassion, unity, brother-hood of man and supremacy of God the Almighty. Acceptance of all religions and different ways of life, which was also preached in it, is especially relevant today as sectarianism, violence and bloodshed has been frequently vitiating the social fabric of our nation. The best way of paying homage to Guru Granth Sahib will be to strive to transcend the limitations of our narrow self-interest and think of the collective good of the society.

Research for Guru Granth Sahib

Guru Granth Sahib is a national treasure; it should be preserved for centuries in its original form. Research needed in the Guru Nanak Dev University to locate all the original manuscripts, the latest technique of digitization has to be used to preserve the great Sikh heritage in text and musical form. RB can assist the University to digitize the Guru Granth Sahib, if permitted.

Conclusion

I am aware of the great saying (It is an order for all Sikhs to treat Guru Granth as the Guru) :

Sabh Sikkan Ko Hukum hai

Guru Maniyo Granth

I find in Guru Granth Sahib a universal Guru. The divine and heroic life of all the ten Guru?s gives us many examples to emulate for eternity. The great two missions of Guru Arjan Dev has given unique holy treasures to humanity and we can derive many practical principles and best practices of management as well. I am sure the Faculty members and educators gathered here will apply these principles and create enlightened citizens from this University. Let this 400th anniversary celebration of Guru Granth Sahib be a time when we all re-dedicate ourselves to work for the whole nation and the world through the leadership and management principles enunciated in Guru Granth Sahib to bring prosperity, peace and harmony to the planet earth.

I am happy to lay the foundation stone of the Guru Granth Sahib Bhavan and wish the Seminar on Relevance of Guru Granth Sahib in the 21st Century a great success.

May God Bless you.